Abstract

We developed the concept for manufacturing end-use customized devices within a Functional Integrated Layered Manufacturing (FILM) environment, where rapid prototyping is employed in conjunction with other technologies to capitalize on individual process capabilities for developing unique functional devices. Layer manufacturing offers enormous potential in integrated manufacturing of unique customized devices by removing many of the geometry and other limitations experienced by conventional manufacturing processes. The FILM concept involves a toolbox of technologies that can be used in an automated environment on a single part in order to successfully manufacture the customized device. ^